Dec
10
Repositioning our Problems
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How do we manage are problems if they keep poking their ugly heads into our lives? Can we just think positive thoughts in hopes that they will just go away? Can we just start up an exercise program in similar hopes? Or can we get that raise in hopes that it will vanquish all of our problems? All of these ideas could help move us into a better position. We tend to feel better for a fleeting moment but then, usually, our problems just tend to surface again.
This is not to sound despairing but to help nudge us into having a different way of relating to our struggles. To honor those struggles and then to try and create a different position towards them. A quick story to help with this thought.
When I was a teenager I had a lot of anger and angst. Now there were many many reasons for this, but for now that is not part of this story. I was that kid who lashed out at everyone. Family, friends, myself, and even teachers. I would do anything to anyone just because I thought they stood in my way. I soon found myself apart of a beautiful community amongst punk rockers. This community helped me to think about possible reasons for this anger and angst. But it wasn’t until many years, and a lot of trouble later, that I had one of those life changing conversations that you remember till your dieing day. It was with this teacher of mine who had asked (not told) me to sit down and discuss my anger and angst. I don’t know if he meant to change my life so much but he did. What he said was that my anger should be honored but that I should try and channel into something more positive. After that conversation I soon became a part of Amnesty International and from there I became a life long social justice activist. This helped to honor my frustrations but to channel it into making a better world.
Do you have a similar story? I would love to hear it and to possibly post it here on this blog. Please email me at: jeffjones@phoenix-mental-health.com
Nov
4
I was recently listening to this Chumbawamba song and it got me to thinking about therapy. What does the metaphor of getting knocked down mean? Does it entail a place of standing in the first place? What if in world of inequality we were never in a place of standing up? The first noble truth that Buddha stated was that there is suffering in life. How then do we go forward with the cessation of suffering and to get up again? I posit that one way forward is to metaphorically contemplate moving out of the cave and back into the world. The idea of the cave being a place of enlightenment, in my opinion, can only be appreciated because at some point the practitioner in the cave came out and discussed their findings. This leads me to the next point. We are relational and standing up after a possible life time of being knocked down takes community. The journey to get back up again starts from that dialogical voice that says there has to be some other way to move forward than what is going on now. Therapy can be beneficial as a vehicle on this road, but it is not the journey itself. Reaching out to those you love, your friendships, your coworkers, the store clerk, your music scene, your world is the best way to gather strength, to stand up again, after getting knocked down.
Oct
3
Maybe
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Here is an old Zen story that really resonates with me at times. I hope it resonates with you. Enjoy!
Maybe
There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
Sep
19
I am excited to add that the free class I am offering coming up this September 28th titled “Changing the Narrative of Mental Illness” was cited in a recent MPR article. Please follow the link: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/09/16/exco-experimental-college/
Aug
24
Questioning Social Construction
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I am sorry that it has been awhile since the last post but I was in Vancouver and, well, it is the summer time so life is busy. I also did not mean to leave off with the thoughts on deconstruction but those will just have to wait until a future post. Until then, enjoy.
The theory of social construction leads to some thorny issues. On one hand you have academics who state that there is no actual reality or facts but what is socially constructed. In the ivory tower this makes perfect sense. We create what is known, after our experience, through dialogue and other cultural ways of transmitting information. But, and this is a big but, this theory can also take away what is a known reality and cultural responsibility. For example lets examine race. There is very little scientific evidence, if any at all, that would state that there are any real differences in race. Yet, this does not fit well with most peoples experience of race and oppression. There is along history of racial oppression, institutional racism, and white supremacy in the US. At the same time there is a long history of anti-racism activism and movements to help people feel proud of who they are. To state that race is just a conceptual theory and it does not exist is not promoting, in my opinion, a furtherance of justice based on equality. The very least the theory can come off as another form of degradation.
The theory of social construction does help navigate to a solid foundation of which we can ask certain questions. For example, having a bisexual identity. One could ask numerous questions such as what makes one bisexual? Is it an act? A thought? A way of identifying? If it is an act, what about situations that is beyond someones control such as being in prison and finding a partner in prison? Or what about the male prostitute who states he is heterosexual? What about the person who has taken a vow of celibacy for life but knows that they have dual attractions? These are all just questions and trying to identity an individual should be left up to them to identify. Not from the ivory tower.
Jun
24
Genetics or Life?
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The Alliance for Human Research Protection has written an article about the gene theory for depression. The article can be read here, http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/610/9/, titled” Gene Theory for Depression is Now Discredited”. It is an interesting article because one of the main reasons given for taking psychotropic medications for depression is due to the serotonin gene that one is born with. This article debunks the myth that one is born with a gene that causes an “imbalance” in their serotonin levels. Consequently, there has never been to my knowledge, a study that proves that depression is caused by an imbalance in serotonin levels. What the debunkers claim is that if there is an imbalance then one must prove the right balance, but at this time there is no known test for this. Is it all guess work? The article goes on to say that depression is caused not by biological factors but by situations in life, personal, interpersonal, and I would argue community and society wide also.
I am not for or against psychotropic medications. I realize that they have been very beneficial for some people, but I am advocating for more information on the risk of side effects before taking the medications. This is where psychotherapy can be useful to someone experiencing depression. In my opinion, psychotherapy should be the first line of defense against depression. I would bet there are fewer side effects. If therapy is not working then please go see a psychiatrist.